Device for automatically announcing orders and dangers to moving trains



F. R. ELIZONDO. DEVICE, FOR AUTOMATICALLY ANNOUNCING ORDERS AND DANGERSTO MOVING TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15. 1917.

1,347,538. Patented July 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

F. R. ELIZONDO. DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY ANNOUNCING ORDERS AND DANGERST0 MOV'ING TRAINS.-

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, I917.

Patnted July 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

ITT'i 2a. 50 lllllllllllllllllllllllllIT g ggn UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

FERNANDO ROQUE ELIZONDO, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY ANNOUNCING ORDERS AND DANGERS TO MOVING TRAINS.

Application filed November 15, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FERNANDO Ro Un ELI- ZONDO, a citizen of the Republicof Mexico, and a residentof Mexico city, Mexico, have invented new anduseful Devices for Automatically Announcing Orders and Dangers to MovingTrains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device which announces automatically stopsignals to the engineer of a moving train and which automaticallyapplies the air brakes in case the engineer should not heed the stopsignals immediately.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a device whichmay be adapted to the engine of a train or to any other kind of vehiclemoving on rails and provided with air brakes, and which indicatesautomatically the places where the train is to stop.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device whichannounces stop signals to the engineer of a train by the blowing of awhistle and by a red danger signal shown, and which permits the engineerto apply the air brakes so as to bring the train to a stop.

It is finally an object of this invention to provide a device which willautomatically apply the air brakes of a train after passing a stopsignal if the engineer should not for any reason notice the previousblowlng of the whistle and the red signal shown, and which will registerthe number of stops made on a numbered dial connected with said device.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings andhereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a general view of the device.

Fig. 2 shows the interior mechanism of the device.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line3-8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the valve which opens and closes the tubeof the air brake.

Fig. 5 is a detail section of the same valve.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the toothed seg ment which winds up thespring of the mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the toothed segment, showing the stops.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial N0. 202,212.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail View of the lever which operates thesegment.

Fig. 9 is a detail View of the pawl which engages the segment.

Fig. 10 shows the form of the double armed lever which disengages thepawl shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged front elevation of the announcing or signalingmechanism.

12 is a rear view of the mechanism.

Fig. 13 is a section taken through said mechanism.

Fig. 14 is an enlarged detail view of the pawl which engages thesignaling plate.

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary detail view of the operating rod.

Fig. 16 is a detailed view of the double framed carriage which actuatesthe operat- 1ng rod.

Fig. 17 is a top plan view of the same carriage.

Figs. 18 and 19 indicate two different forms of the blocks provided tolift the inner frame of the carriage.

Fig. 20 illustrates the manner in which the wheel engages the block inthe inner carriage frame.

As shown in the drawings, the device consists of a circular casing 1,the top or front of which is closed by a lid 2 screwed over the sides ofthe casing. Substantially in the center of easing 1 is another casing 3,in the bottom of which, but independently there from, is provided a gearwheel 4, the top of said casing 3 being formed by a ratchet Wheel 5. Inthe interior of said casing there is a spring 3, and which is connectedboth with the gear wheel 4 and the ratchet wheel 5. The casing 3 rotateson a shaft 6 which moves in bearings provided in the bottom of easing 1and in the plate 7, which plate is fastened to the bottom of casing 1 bymeans of brackets 8. The spring in casing 3 is adapted to be wound up,and the tension is maintained by a suitable pawl which engages theratchet wheel 5. The gear wheel 4 is connected by means of a pluralityof gear wheels 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 with a regulator 14 which serves toregulate the movement of the valve opening and closing mechanism, aswill be described hereafter.

The gear wheel 4 engages a gear wheel 15 at the bottom of the valvecasing 16. This valve casing is perforated longitudinally, as will beseen in Figs. 4 and 5, and tubes Patented July 27, 1920.

17 and 18 are provided atopposite ends of this perforation, which tubesproject through the sides of casing 1. The valve casing 16'is secured tothe'interior side of casing 1 by means of screws or bolts. conicalmember 19 is fastened to thegear wheel 15, said conical member enteringa conical perforation in the casing 16 and being secured at the top ofsaid casing by a plate 20, being furthermore provided with a laterallyextending perforation 21 which corresponds with the perforation incasing 16, forming thereby a valve which may be opened or closed by therotation of the gear wheel 15.

The superior extremity of the tube 17 is provided with a fitting 22, oneoutlet of which is connected with the air brake of the vehicle, and theother outiet with a whistle 23. The other tube 18 is connected at itsinferior end with the compressed air chamher or with any other means forsupplying the air Which operates the air brakes.

The gear wheel 4, at the side opposite to the valve casing 16, engagesthe toothed segment 24, a detailed view of which is given in Figs. 6 and7, which segment is pivotally attached to one side of the bottom )lateof casing l, and serves to wind up the spring in casing 3 by means ofthe gear wheel 4.

This is obtained by the lever 25 (Fig. 8)

pivotally mounted on one side of the casing l and provlded with a spring26 which tends to push the lever against the side of the casing 1. Saidlever is connected by meansof a cable with the handle 27 which on beingpulled downwardly brings the lever to bear against the stud 28 mountedon the segment 24, and rotates the segment. On reaching its downmostposition, the segment is held down by a pawl 29, shown in Fig. 9, whichis mounted pivotally and engages the projection 30 also provided on saidsegment.

The pawl 29' is held in position by the spring 31 (Figs. 1 and 9) andactuated by means of a double armed lever 32 provided at the inferiorinner side of easing 1, one arm of said lever having a rounded extremitywhich conforms with the concave form of the pawl29 (Fig. 10). Theopposite arm of the lever 32 is held down by a spring 33 over aperforation provided in the inferior part of the side of casting 1,through which perforation projects the superior extremity of a rod Thisrod passes downwardly through a tube 35 secured by means of a flange 36to the inferior part of the outside of casing 1. Said rod, within thetube 35, is provided at its upper end with a thrust plate 37 and at itsinferior part with a buffer base plate 38 slidable vertically upon therod 34, and separated by a spring 39 from the thrust plate37 (Fig 2).inferior extremity of the tube 35 is connected by means of a clip 40with a flexible The tube 41 through which passes a rod 42 and this tubeand rod is again prolonged by another tube and rod of substantially thesame construction, as shown in Fig. 15, the length of said tubesdepending on the dis' tance which separates the announcing device fromthe carriage provided at the bottom of the vehicle and the object ofwhich will appear hereafter.

' To the inferior surface of the engine or vehicle, between the frontwheels, is secured a plate 43 in any suitable manner, to which plate aforked frame 44 is attached, said frame being substantially U-shaped(Figs. 16 and 20). Within this frame there is another frame 45 alsoU-shaped and pivotally attached to the extremities of the legs of thefirst frame 44 by means of a bolt or pin 46. Between the legs of theinner U-shaped frame 45 there is a rotatably mounted wheel 47, and astop 48 is provided which permits the. inner frame 45 to hang shown inFig. 14, and this lever 50-moves the pawl 51, both lever'and pawl beingpivotally mounted in a bracket fastened to the rear or bottom plate ofeasing 1. Said pawl 51 engages a flange 52.0f the signaling plate of theannouncing apparatus. This announcing apparatus comprises two guide.

rods 53, shown in Fig. 11, the extremities of which guide rodsarefastened to the sides of easing 1. Slidably mounted on said guide rodsis a signaling plate 54 divided into two fields the upper of which ispainted in a white color and the lower in a red color. The inferiorextremities ofthe guide rods 53 are connected by. a plate in'the centerof which rotates a numbered dial 56 fastened on topof a ratchet wheel57, which ratchet wheel is rotated ste-p by step by a pawl 58 fastenedtothe lower part of the signaling plate 54. A lever 59provided with aspring 60 presses against the inferior part of the ratchet wheel 57 inorder to permit the pawl 58 to engage only one tooth of the ratchetwheel 57 at a'tiine. On the IQRIISUZZ face of the plate there is a pin61 which engages a spring 62 fastened to the inner side of the casing 1,said springtending to move the plate 54 upwardly. One side of the plate54 is furthermore provided with a stud 63 through which said plate maybe moved downwardly by the action of a pin 64 mounted on the lever 25. I

The lid or cover 2 of easing 1 comprises a metal collar screwed ontop ofcasing 1, and

' a circular glass plate painted so as to leave only a transparentaperture for one of the fields of the signaling plate 54, andanotheraperture for a numeral of the numbered dial 56.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The device is prepared foremergencies by pulling the handle 27downwardly. This movement operates the lever 25 which rotates thetoothed segment 24 and said segment in turn winds up the springcontained in casing 3, after which the projection 30 of said segment isengaged by the pawl 29 and the segment held in a downward position. Atthe same time the pin 64 pulls down the signaling plate 54, bringinginto View the white field on the transparent aperture of the cover ofcasing 1. In this position of the device the valve of the air brake isclosed.

In order to operate the device, a buffer block is disposed between therails of the oncoming train on all the places where a stopping of thetrain is required, some forms which said bufi'er block may take beingillustrated in Figs. 18, 19 and 20. hen the wheel 47 of the frame 45passes over one of said buffer blocks, said frame 45 is moved upwardlytransmitting this movement to the connecting rod This rod in turn pushesupwardly the buffer base plate 38 which moves the rod 34 in the samedirection. The superior extremity of this rod operates the lever 32, andthe projection 49 of said lever disengages the pawl 51 from the flangeof the signaling plate 54, which plate is pulled upwardly by the spring62, bringing the red field into view on the cover of the device. At thesame time the pawl 58 moves the dial 56 and a new recording numberappears on the lid of the casing'l. The other arm of the lever 32disengages the pawl 29 from the segment 24, which segment moves upwardlythrough the tension of the spring, and this spring rotates at the sametime the gear wheel 4. This gear wheel, the movement of which isregulated by the regulator 14, rotates the gear wheel 15 which opens thevalve 21 of the air brake. The passage of the air being free, thewhistle 23 is blown, the air brakes applied, and the train is brought toa stop. Pulling again the handle 47, as described above, leaves thedevice ready for the next operation.

It is obvious that in case of danger a beam, stone or any other suitableobstacle may be thrown between the rails in order to operate the device.I am also aware that the carriage consisting of two U-shaped frames witha wheel between the inner frame may be varied as may best be suited todifferent conditions, as for instance in case of heavy snow drifts, andgenerally I do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise thannecessitated by the prior art, as various details of construction may bevaried through a wide range without departing from the principles ofthis invention and within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is v 1. In train signaling'apparatus, a valve, a springmotor to operate the valve, winding means for the motor including apivotally mounted element, a lever to move said element in the requireddirection to wind the motor spring, a signaling element actuated by saidlever, a trip element to hold said pivotally mounted element and therebyprevent operation of the motor, and train operated means to actuate thetrip element.

2. In train signaling apparatus, a valve, a spring motor to operate thevalve, winding means for the motor including a pivotally mountedelement, a lever to move said element in the required direction to windthe motor spring, a signaling element movable by said lever to oneposition, a spring to move said signaling element to another position, atrip element to hold said pivotally mounted element and thereby preventoperation of the motor, and train operated means to actuate the tripelement.

3. In train signaling apparatus, a valve, a spring motor to open thevalve, winding means for the motor including a pivotally mountedelement, a lever to move said element in the required direction to windthe motor spring, a signaling element movable by said lever in oneposition, a detent to hold said signaling element in such position, aspring to move said signaling element to another position, a tripelement to hold said pivotally mounted element and thereby preventoperation of the motor, and train operated means to actuate the tripelement, said trip element being also arranged to release the detentfrom the signaling element.

4. In train signaling apparatus, a valve, a spring motor to operate thevalve, winding means for the motor including a pivotally mountedelement, a lever to move said element in the required direction to windthe motor spring, a signaling element movable by said lever to oneposition, a recording mechanism actuated by said signaling element, aspring to move said signaling element to another position, a tripelement to hold said pivotally mounted element and thereby preventoperation of the-motor, and train operated means to actuate the tripelement.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FERNANDO roams rnzorno f Witnesses:

F. M. BERGER, MANUEL SANCI-IES.

